Social Security survivor benefits continue after remarriage at 60? Need clarity before proposing
Been widowed for 8 years and collecting survivor benefits from my late husband who had a good earnings record. Now at 63, I've met someone special (never thought I'd say that again!) and we're talking about marriage. I've always operated under the assumption that remarrying would terminate my survivor benefits completely. However, I recently read something that suggested survivor benefits can continue if you're over 60 when you remarry? This would significantly impact our financial planning together. Can anyone confirm if this is actually true? I want to get the facts straight before we make any serious decisions. Planning to visit my local SSA office but it's been impossible to get an appointment lately.
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Zainab Yusuf
Yes, this is absolutely correct! You can remarry after age 60 and still collect survivor benefits based on your late spouse's work record. This is one of those lesser-known rules that can make a huge difference. I went through this exact situation myself last year. The Social Security representative confirmed this rule when I remarried at 62. Your survivor benefits will continue without interruption.
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Miguel Alvarez
•Oh thank you so much for confirming! That's a huge relief. Did you have to fill out any special paperwork when you remarried to ensure the benefits continued? Or did they just continue automatically?
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Connor O'Reilly
my cousin remarried at 58 and lost her benefits... wish she would've waited those extra 2 years! but yeah you should be fine since you're already 63
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Miguel Alvarez
•That's exactly what I was afraid would happen to me! So sorry about your cousin's situation. It seems like such an arbitrary cutoff at age 60.
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Yara Khoury
Are you sure about this??? I was told by my neighbor who works for the government that ALL remarriage stops survivor benefits no matter what age. Now I'm confused because I'm in a similar situation (widow for 5 years at age 62) and my boyfriend proposed last month! I've been putting off giving him an answer partly because of this issue!!!
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Zainab Yusuf
•Your neighbor is definitely incorrect. The SSA website clearly states this exception for survivors who remarry at or after age 60. Your neighbor might be confusing this with other benefits that do terminate upon remarriage regardless of age. This is why it's always best to get information directly from SSA rather than secondhand sources, even if they work for the government in some capacity.
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Keisha Taylor
I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW COMPLICATED THEY MAKE ALL THIS!!! Why should getting married even affect our benefits at all?? We worked for these benefits through our spouses. The whole system is designed to keep us confused and deny us what we deserve. Every time I call the SSA, I get a different answer depending on who answers the phone. RIDICULOUS!!
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StardustSeeker
•While I understand your frustration, this particular rule actually works in favor of older widows and widowers. The reasoning behind the age 60 exception is that historically, older individuals might avoid remarriage solely for financial reasons, and the SSA didn't want to create this disincentive for older Americans. You're right that the system is complex, but in this case, the complexity actually creates a beneficial exception.
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Paolo Marino
To add some technical clarity here: According to the Code of Federal Regulations (20 CFR § 404.335), you can receive widow/widower benefits if you remarry after you reach age 60 (or age 50 if disabled). This is accurate information directly from SSA policy. However, there is one important consideration: If you're eligible for retirement benefits on your own record, and those would be higher than your survivor benefits, SSA will pay you the higher amount. When you remarry, they might recalculate your benefits, but you won't lose survivor benefits solely because of remarriage after 60. Also, if your new spouse is receiving Social Security benefits, you might potentially qualify for spousal benefits on their record too, if that amount would be higher than either your own retirement or your current survivor benefits. SSA will always pay you the highest benefit you're entitled to receive.
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Amina Bah
•Thank you for this detailed explanation - was gonna say the same thing but you saved me the typing! One question - does this same rule apply to divorced spouse survivor benefits if the marriage lasted 10+ years? Just curious cause my friend is in that situation
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Paolo Marino
•Yes, the same rule applies to divorced spouse survivor benefits as long as the marriage lasted at least 10 years. If a divorced surviving spouse remarries after age 60 (or age 50 if disabled), they can continue receiving survivor benefits based on their ex-spouse's record. This is covered under the same regulatory provisions.
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Keisha Taylor
I tried for WEEKS to get through to SS to ask about this exact question last year when my sister was getting remarried!!! Impossible to reach anyone!!
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StardustSeeker
•I had the same problem trying to get through to SSA last month. After multiple failed attempts and hours on hold, I found a service called Claimyr that got me connected to a real SSA agent in under 10 minutes. Saved me so much frustration! They basically call SSA for you and then connect you once they get through. I watched their video demo first at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU and then used their service at claimyr.com. It was such a relief to finally talk to someone at SSA about my questions.
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Keisha Taylor
•Really?? Never heard of them but will definitely check it out next time I need to call SS. Anything to avoid those endless busy signals and dropped calls!
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Yara Khoury
I'm still a bit confused...does this apply to just widow benefits or also divorced spouse benefits? And do you need to notify SSA right away when you remarry or can you just keep collecting without telling them? Asking for a friend...
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Zainab Yusuf
•This applies to both widow/widower benefits AND divorced spouse survivor benefits (if the marriage lasted at least 10 years). And while I understand the temptation, you absolutely must report your marriage to SSA. Not reporting a marriage that could affect your benefits could be considered fraud, and SSA does periodically check marriage records. If they discover an unreported marriage, you could face penalties and have to repay benefits. Always better to be upfront with SSA about life changes.
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Connor O'Reilly
my aunt got remarried at 61 and still gets her dead husbands ss check every month so i know this is true for sure
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Miguel Alvarez
I just want to thank everyone for the helpful responses! I feel so much more confident now about our future plans. It seems like I've been operating under outdated information all this time. I'm going to go ahead and try to confirm with SSA directly, but it's such a relief to know that I won't have to choose between love and financial security at this stage of my life. Looks like I might be saying 'yes' sooner than I thought!
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Amina Bah
•Congrats on finding love again! That's the most important thing. The fact that you get to keep your benefits is just icing on the cake! ♥️
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Carmen Lopez
This is such wonderful news to hear! I'm a newcomer to this community but have been researching this exact topic for my own situation. I lost my husband 3 years ago at age 58 and have been hesitant about dating because I thought any future remarriage would mean losing his survivor benefits completely. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly enlightening - especially the detailed regulatory citation from Paolo. It's reassuring to see real people sharing their actual experiences with this rule working in their favor. I had no idea about the age 60 exception, and honestly, it makes so much sense from a policy perspective. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences - this gives me hope that when I'm ready to consider companionship again, I won't have to sacrifice my financial stability to find happiness.
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Aisha Khan
•Welcome to the community, Carmen! I'm so sorry for your loss, and I completely understand the hesitation about dating when you're worried about financial impacts. It's one of those difficult situations where grief and practical concerns intersect in ways that shouldn't have to happen. I'm glad this discussion has been helpful for you too - I was in almost the exact same boat, assuming remarriage meant losing everything. It's such a relief to learn that the SSA actually considered this scenario and created an exception. Take your time with everything, and when you're ready, you'll have one less thing to worry about. This community has been such a great resource for navigating these complex situations!
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Paolo Conti
Welcome to the community! I'm a newcomer here too and have been quietly following this discussion with great interest. As a recently widowed person myself (lost my spouse 6 months ago at age 55), I've been wondering about these same questions for the future. The information shared here has been incredibly valuable - I had no idea about the age 60 rule either! It's comforting to see how supportive and knowledgeable this community is. Miguel, congratulations on finding love again, and thank you for asking the question that so many of us needed answered. The detailed responses, especially Paolo's regulatory citation, have given me a much clearer understanding of how survivor benefits actually work. This kind of practical, real-world information is exactly what those of us navigating these situations need most.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•Welcome to both you and Carmen! I'm also relatively new here but have found this to be such a supportive space for navigating these complex situations. I'm so sorry for your recent loss - 6 months is still so fresh, and it's completely understandable to be thinking about these practical concerns even while grieving. This discussion has been eye-opening for me too. I had a friend who avoided dating for years because she was convinced remarriage would mean losing her survivor benefits completely. Now I realize she could have been enjoying companionship all this time if she'd known about the age 60 rule. It really highlights how important it is to have access to accurate information and supportive communities like this one where people share real experiences rather than assumptions or outdated information.
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Mei Chen
As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly informative discussion! I'm currently 59 and widowed for 2 years, and like many others here, I had completely wrong assumptions about remarriage and survivor benefits. Reading through these responses has been such an eye-opener - especially learning about the age 60 rule. I had been avoiding even considering dating because I thought any future marriage would automatically terminate my benefits. It's both frustrating and relieving to discover that I've been operating under false information for so long. The detailed regulatory information from Paolo and the real-world experiences shared by Zainab and others have given me so much clarity. It's wonderful to see how supportive this community is in sharing accurate information rather than perpetuating myths. Miguel, I hope your conversation with SSA goes smoothly and congratulations on finding happiness again! For those of us still learning to navigate this new reality, discussions like this are invaluable.
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Ava Garcia
•Welcome to the community, Mei! Your story resonates so much with many of us here - it's amazing how widespread these misconceptions about survivor benefits and remarriage really are. I'm also a newcomer and have been following this thread closely because I'm in a similar situation. At 61 and widowed for 4 years, I had completely ruled out the possibility of remarriage thinking it would mean financial hardship. This discussion has been life-changing for me too! It really makes you wonder how many people are making major life decisions based on incorrect assumptions about Social Security rules. I'm so grateful Miguel asked this question and that experienced members like Zainab and Paolo took the time to provide such detailed, accurate information. It's exactly the kind of supportive, fact-based discussion that makes communities like this so valuable for those of us navigating these complex situations.
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